Page 60 of Mountain Void

He wished he had a flashlight with him, and that he was wearing better shoes, but he’d dressed for dinner, not for a night-time rescue.

“I know where the pond is,” Charlie panted, jogging behind him. “Run ahead. I’ll follow.”

Lorenz nodded and sped up. A few minutes later, the small body of water appeared behind the trees. At first, he couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

A mistake.

A prank.

It happened, once in a while. Here, it was the best possible news.

Then he saw movement at the far end of the pond. There was a small, dark figure on the ice, crouched low on his knees, one arm stretched forward. In his other hand, he clutched a cell phone. Thank goodness he’d had the sense to make the emergency call.

“Aidez-moi ! Il est tombé !”

Help me! He fell!

Lorenz checked behind him to find Charlie there. She’d kept up with him.

“We’re here to help. Crawl away from the hole,” Lorenz called out, in French. The last thing he wanted was for this boy to end up in the water as well. “That’s right. On your belly, if you can. Don’t stand up.”

“Stay here, Charlie,” Lorenz said, stepping onto the ice, which crackled dangerously.

“I’m not staying here,” Charlie cut in. “I’m a lot lighter. Let me go get him.”

Lorenz shook his head. “No way.”

No fucking way.

The small boy reached the edge of the pond, still on his hands and knees, the ice creaking ominously beneath even his light weight. Lorenz pulled him quickly to safety, holding him by the collar of his jacket. “Mon frère,” the boy hiccuped.

Eager to keep him away from the ice, Lorenz sent him to the edge of the path to keep an eye out for the rest of the PGHM team.

He focused his eyes on the small hands clawing at the edge of the ice.

He stepped forward. One step, and nothing happened. Then, a second step. At the third step, a loud crack split the surface under his boot.

He stilled.

Too heavy.

“Let me go, Lorenz,” Charlie said, behind him.

“That’s not happening, Charlie. Stay where you are. Stay with the other boy.”

Shit.

There was no way the ice was going to hold him, but he couldn’t risk Charlie’s safety.

He scanned the shoreline desperately. At the edge of the pond, two thick tree stumps caught his eye. If he could rig an anchor around one of them—

Movement on the ice caught his attention. He spun.

Charlie was already on the ice. He watched, his heart in his throat, as she lowered herself onto her stomach, spreading her weight on the icy surface.

“Charlie!” His voice came out sharper than he’d intended.

She looked back only briefly, fear and determination warring in her eyes.